Halloween!

This year was our first trick-or-treating Halloween, and it was a blast! Zane loves his bumble bee costume and had already worn it to daycare and to the library for a special story time. We've been looking at the neighborhood's decorations for weeks now, and I had been promising Zane that on Halloween night we could go and look at them all up close. I was so afraid he would refuse to go at the last minute and I would be disappointed, but he took to it like a duck to water! We went from house to house all around the block at a trot. Zane loved all of the decorations and was not freaked out by any scary things. He especially like the mechanical things and spent a long time looking at them from all angles and checking out the backs to see how they worked. He took only gentle prompting to say Trick or Treat and then Thank You at each house. I'm so proud of him! After each door he said, "Next house!," and pulled me along. The houses on one side of the street have pretty steep stairs, but he chugged up and down them all doggedly. When we finally got back home he said he wanted to go around again! It was really fun, and because there are so many kids in the neighborhood the sidewalks and doorways were full of people we know. It was like a nice small town holiday.

When we got home we did the traditional evaluation of the loot. I let Zane have one lollipop and some candy corn. He had been going like gangbusters outside, but suddenly crashed and just lay on the kitchen floor eating his candy corn. He didn't actually fall asleep, but I've never seen him lie on the floor like that without a fever. I think climbing all those stairs took their toll! He rallied, though, and didn't fall asleep until later than usual. The candy bag is hanging from a plant hook near the ceiling for doling out one piece per evening. Michael said it looks like I hung it high to protect it from bears. It's the only place I could put it where Zane could still see it but not get into it.

For some reason this evening Zane kept saying he was scared and needed a hug, but he couldn't say what he was scared of. I think he was figuring out what the word meant. He probably heard it a lot in the last week. We had also been talking this morning about getting measured at the doctor, and he said he was scared of that, which is true. We have another weight check at the end of the month, so I think it's time to start practicing being weighed and measured and time for some books from the library on doctors, too.

Tonight, though, he was very brave in saying he wanted to sleep in his own little bed for night time! He's been having naps there for a couple of months now, but I haven't tried nights yet. My plan is to wait until after my Mom's visit over Thanksgiving, since she will be staying in the room which will be Zane's. He almost managed to fall asleep in his little bed in his own room, but in the end asked to go back upstairs to his crib where he fell asleep in just a few minutes. It was totally his idea to try it, so I'm very pleased with him. After Thanksgiving I'll try to make the room more his, and then work on getting him to sleep there for good.

We finished our series of art classes, and in the end we got some nice stuff to keep. I didn't sign up for the next series as Zane just wasn't that into it. So we've got some extra time. This morning we went swimming, and tomorrow we'll head over to the zoo.

Last week we cat sat for some neighbors. They invited us to play with all the toys they have for their grandchildren. While we were there I came across a jump rope and showed Zane what it was for. He thought it was great and tried to do it. It was pretty funny, so I got him his own and he did a nice repeat performance for the camera.


I believe that's it! Next up will be my Mom's visit in the middle of the month, then Thanksgiving! I think I'll try to get in some baking with Zane.